All in green went my love riding by E. E. Cummings
"All in green went my love riding" is a poem by E. E. Cummings that explores themes of courtly love through the lens of ancient mythology. The work draws upon the Greek myth of Actaeon and the goddess Diana (or Artemis), illustrating a vivid narrative where Actaeon's pursuit of beauty leads to his tragic demise. Cummings employs rich imagery, particularly focusing on colors, to evoke a dynamic interplay between life and death. The poem's fourteen stanzas depict a chase imbued with both beauty and terror, showcasing the contrasting elements of joy and mortality.
The use of colors—such as green symbolizing life and the ominous presence of death—creates a layered meaning, suggesting a connection between the lovers amidst the unfolding tragedy. The structure of the poem reinforces its themes, with a cyclical nature illustrated through repetition, emphasizing the vitality of love even in the face of doom. Overall, Cummings masterfully intertwines the mythological narrative with emotional depth, presenting a complex reflection on the cycles of life and love. This poem invites readers to contemplate the richness of existence, where beauty and peril coexist.
All in green went my love riding by E. E. Cummings
Excerpted from an article in Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition
First published: 1923 (collected in Tulips and Chimneys, 1923)
Type of work: Poem
The Work
“All in green went my love riding” is an example of Cummings’s use of an ancient myth to communicate his message to a modern audience. The poem is about courtly love, and it alludes to the Roman and Greek myth in which Diana or Artemis, goddess and protectress of wildlife, is challenged by the hunter Actaeon. The goddess changes Actaeon into a stag, whereupon Actaeon’s own hounds attack and kill him. Cummings retells this story, using fourteen stanzas, each of which paints a graphic picture that chronicles a part of this chase.
The poem is replete with colors: the green garb of a lover, the golden color of the horse, the silver dawn, the redness of the roebuck, the whiteness of water. It is equally specific in other details, such as numbers: There are four hounds and four deer. These and other details paint a picture that combines beauty with terror; the beauty of the place and the lover are enveloped in the ominous atmosphere of death.
Told from the view of Diana or Artemis, this poem describes the chase, beginning with Actaeon’s departure and concluding with his death and Diana’s swoon. Though the poem ends with these images, it is not a lyric about finality or mortality. On the contrary, it is about vitality and life, for the lovers are united in their ecstasy, just as the poem is united by its repetition (with the variation in the final line) of the first and last two stanzas. Thus the color green, the color of life, connects the lovers, who themselves are joined in the cycle of life and death.
Bibliography
Ahearn, Barry, ed. Pound/Cummings: The Correspondence of Ezra Pound and E. E. Cummings. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1996.
Bloom, Harold, ed. E. E. Cummings: Comprehensive Research and Study Guide. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 2003.
Dumas, Bethany K. E. E. Cummings: A Remembrance of Miracles. London: Vision Press, 1974.
Kennedy, Richard S. E. E. Cummings Revisited. New York: Twayne, 1994.
Kidder, Rushworth M. E. E. Cummings: An Introduction to the Poetry. New York: Columbia University Press, 1979.
Lane, Gary. I Am: A Study of E. E. Cummings’ Poems. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1976.
Norman, Charles. The Magic Maker: E. E. Cummings. Rev. ed. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, 1972.
Sawyer-Lauçanno, Christopher. E. E. Cummings: A Biography. Naperville, Ill.: Sourcebooks, 2004.
Wegner, Robert E. The Poetry and Prose of E. E. Cummings. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1965.